


Tis the day before the party... part 2

by Stacks_of_Books



Series: Tis the day before [11]
Category: The Devil Wears Prada (2006)
Genre: F/F
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-09-02
Updated: 2018-09-02
Packaged: 2019-07-05 23:15:25
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,637
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15873696
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Stacks_of_Books/pseuds/Stacks_of_Books
Summary: A slow burn from Thanksgiving to Labor day. 11th in the series or 10.5. It's the end baby. Just 1 more to go.





	Tis the day before the party... part 2

Nigel popped his head into Andy’s office on Friday afternoon. Miranda had confirmed that she would attend “the going away party” for Andy, so now it was time to invite Andy. “Hey do you have plans tonight? No of course you don’t” he answered for her, ignoring her open mouth. “We’re having a going away party for you.”

“A going away…” Andy looks up from her computer.

“Party. Yes.”

“Tonight?” Andy saved her document and really focused on Nigel.

“Yes.”

“Isn’t it short notice?”

“Well we decided to throw you a party this Monday.” Nigel made sure he looked relax. This wouldn’t work if she became suspicious.

“On Monday?” Andy questioned. “And you’re telling me now on Friday at 4:30?”

“Andy,” Nigel sat across from her and said in a serious tone. “I blame Denise.”

“Denise?” Andy looked puzzled.

“Yes, in copy”

“I know who Denise is.”

“Well on Monday Denise was supposed to give you the message that we decided to throw you a going away party but then…”

“Denise was fired.” Andy finished for Nigel.

“Denise was fired,” Nigel nodded as he repeated Andy’s words. “So no one said anything and then Emily asked when you would arrive and I realized that maybe we might have forgotten a tiny detail.”

“Tiny detail?” Andy said in a surprised voice.

“Teeny,” Nigel held his fingers just a hair apart. “So I thought 7:30 would be fine. Most people should be there by then. Plus Emily said she’d meet the caterers at 7.”

“Caterers?” Andy repeated in surprise. “How big is this thing? I thought we were just getting drinks or something.”

“It started as just drinks but a lot of people like you here. It must be that Midwest charm.” Nigel teased. “Whatever it is, people wanted to wish you well and a friend of mine has a studio, not far from here, we can use. Mind you, half is set up for a shoot on Monday, but he said we can use it.”

Andy sighed. “I guess if I leave at 6, I could make it back before 8.”

“No need.” Nigel hurriedly said. “We’d go straight from here.”

“I need to eat Nigel. I can’t just fill up on canapes. I need real food.”

“You and food.” Nigel rolled his eyes playfully. “Fine, in the spirit of friendship and love, I’ll take you for dinner first.”

Andy sighed. It would be nice to see all her co-workers once more. Well most of her co-workers, she thought sadly. “Fine. Now let me finish. I need to sign off on these last articles and then pack up.”

“I’ll be by to pick you up about 6:30ish?”

Andy nodded. Two more hours and she was done here. It had been some of the best and worst moments of her adult life but God; she was going to miss it.

 

 

6:30 on the dot Nigel reappeared. “Packed?”

 

Andy looked around; pictures and personal items had been sent to her house yesterday. Now her office looked like any normal office. Her laptop had been returned to IT. “Yeah.” She followed Nigel out. As she shut her office door, she let her fingertips skim over her name. She had had her own office for less than a year. She sighed.

Nigel hurried her along. “Let’s get out of here. Miranda has been on a rampage today.”

“When isn’t she?” Andy entered the elevator with Nigel. These last few weeks had been brutal for Nigel’s department. 3 scraped photoshoot, 2 new layouts and 4 people fired. Of course Andy hadn’t had to deal with any of it. After that insulting email, Miranda had just stopped contact with her. Oh she tried to talk to her once or twice but for the most part, Miranda left her alone and took out her ire on the other departments.

As the elevator emptied out on the ground floor, Nigel grabbed Andy’s hand. “Hurry. If I’m out of the building maybe Miranda won’t change the layout again.”  
Andy offered him a weak smile. One could hope.

 

 

Amazingly, Nigel and Andy made it through a quick dinner before his cell started to buzz. He glanced at it. 7:15. “We’ll let’s not dawdle. Emily says the caterers are done.”  
Andy shook her head but allowed herself to be pulled down the block to where the studio was. Nigel’s phone buzzed again as they headed up. He looked at it and then typed out a response.

“Trouble?” Andy asked.

“Maybe.” He didn’t say more before the elevator opened on their floor. Just as they reached the door Andy’s own phone buzzed but Nigel grabbed her phone. “No. I’m taking this. You are free of Runway and you deserve to enjoy yourself.”

“Nigel give me the phone. It could be important.”

Nigel ignored Andy. He looked at the message. “It’s not. It’s a group text.” His phone buzzed. “See. I got it too. Go in. Emily’s here. I’ll be right in. I just need to answer this.” He gently nudged her towards the door.

“You’re being weird. Don’t think I won’t forget it.”

“Yes, yes…weird got it.” He waved his hand while he read the text. “You can tell me all about it later.”

Andy gave up and walked inside, where she was met by an empty room and Emily who was staring at her phone.

“Em, where is everyone?”

“Oh, you didn’t get the text. Oh, of course not, because you no longer work for Runway. I almost envy you for that.”

“You don’t mean that.”

“No, I don’t. It seems that Miranda changed the layout on page 82 again and production is held up so basically everyone is 15 minutes late.” Her phone buzzed again. “Where’s Nigel, I need to ask him something.”

“He’s in the hall.” Andy started towards the door.

Emily quickly crossed the room. “Don’t worry, I’ll get him. Just,” she waved lazily around the room, “enjoy a drink or something. I’ll be right back.”

Without another word Emily popped out of the room. Andy, shaking her head bemusedly walked into the open kitchen and grabbed a drink. Part of the room was partitioned off with white screens. Must be the photo shoot. She snagged a glass and headed over. No one else was there; she could sneak a peek.

 

 

“You got her phone,” Emily said as she exited the studio. Nigel nodded as the elevator opened and Miranda stepped out.

“Lovely to see you Miranda.” Nigel stepped forward and greeted Miranda.

“Nigel, Emily,” Miranda nodded hello to each of them.

“Everyone is inside,” Nigel said and motioned towards the door.

“Are you coming?” Miranda paused when neither moved towards the door.

“In just a moment, Emily had a problem with something.”

Miranda looked at Emily, “Uh, I lost a button.”

“Have you become a seamstress Nigel?”

“You know me, fairy godfather to one and all.”

“Indeed.” Miranda walked into the apartment.

Quickly, Nigel locked the door from outside.

“Can’t they just unlock it from the inside?” Emily asked.

“No, it’s a one way deadbolt; you can only open it from the outside.” Nigel answered pocketing the key.

“That seems like a fire hazard.”

“It is. It was going to be replaced on Monday. I asked the guy to wait a week.” Nigel looked nervously at the door. “You know if this doesn’t work, we’ll need to find new jobs.”

“Nigel, if this doesn’t work we’ll need new identities.” Emily pushed the button for the elevator. “Are we leaving them in there the whole weekend?”

Nigel rubbed his face. “No. No I think they’ll have it sorted by tomorrow.”

“I need a drink.” Emily said as the doors closed, “and you’re buying.”

 

 

“Emily? Is everything ok?” Andy called out as she stepped out from behind the white screens.

Miranda stood stock still in the middle of the room.

“What are you…where’s,” Andy started and stopped before she marched over to the door and tried to open it. “It’s locked. I knew you were being shifty!” Andy all but screamed at the door. “You’re dead to me Nigel! Do you hear me?”

“Don’t be ridiculous. The door isn’t locked.” Miranda turned and tried the door. “It’s locked.”

“Yes, I’ve said that.” Andy stomped away, stopping to grab a glass of wine and drinking it all in one gulp before putting it back on the counter and taking another.

Miranda rolled her eyes. Those two were going to pay. “Just call them for god’s sake.”

“Can’t. Nigel took my phone.” Andy started laughing. “Nigel took my phone and trapped me in here with you.”

Miranda turned away from Andréa trying not to let her words hurt her. She took out her own phone. Only, as she lifted it, she could feel that it wasn’t her phone. It wasn’t even a phone. Miranda closed her eyes. She reached into her purse once more, just to check. Her fingers touched upon a piece of paper. She fished it out. There in bold writing, Caroline’s she thought, stood a short letter.

 

 

**Mom,**

**We have your phone. This is your chance. Try once more. If she shoots you down at least you know you tried everything. We love you and we think you could be happy with Andy.**  


**C &C**

 

“I’m afraid Nigel wasn’t the cause of this.” Miranda began. She wasn’t one to look a gift horse in the mouth. Scratch that, she was one to look a gift horse in the mouth but she wouldn’t this time.

“What?” Andy turned to look at Miranda.

“It seems,” Miranda waved the note in her hand, “that my daughters wanted to give me one more chance.”

“Chance for what Miranda,” Andy asked tiredly. The last few weeks had been draining.

“To apologize.”

“I got the email,” Andy waved off Miranda and sank into a plush sofa.

Miranda crossed the room and sat next to Andréa. She debated on what to say before realizing that’s what got her into this mess. Go for broke, she told herself. Just this once. She reached out her hand and rested it on Andréa. “I get nervous.” Miranda began, at once capturing Andréa’s attention. “I forget what I want to say when you smile. Sometimes I want to tell you how beautiful you are but I can’t get the words out.”

“Miranda,” Andréa’s voice shook as she tried to interrupt.

Miranda smiled and lifted her fingers to cover Andréa’s lips, silencing her. “I am sorry. Deeply sorry. I pushed you away when I wanted to hold you closer. I let my own fears guide me.”

Andréa leaned back, “I told you, I told you I could wait. I could just be friends. I could have just…”

“Andréa,” Miranda felt tears fill her eyes, “we could never just be friends. I’m in love with you.”

“Miranda nothing has changed. You’re still you. I’m still me.” Andréa reached up with her own hand and let her fingers capture on of the tears gently falling from Miranda’s eyes. She hadn’t seen Miranda cry since Paris.

“Everything has changed. You’re leaving for Vanity Fair,” her voice showing disdain for the magazine.

“It’s still in publishing,” Andy countered. “The same people you were worried about are still there.”

“I no longer care,” Miranda interjected.

“The girls…”

“Locked me in a room with you because after helping me with a plan to apologize, I blew it with a cowardly email. In my defense I had planned to say this after Roy picked you up but I never got the chance.”

“What about everything else?” Andréa asked.

“There is nothing else. You say you don’t care about being gossiped about. Okay then. I believe you. The girls love you. I love you. There isn’t anything else.” Without saying more Miranda leaned forward and kissed Andréa like it was the last time. She had said everything she could say. She made a mistake. She wouldn’t repeat it and if Andréa didn’t want to be with her, she would accept that but right now, right now she thought as her lips moved against Andréa’s, she wanted to kiss her once more.

 

 

When she broke the kiss, Miranda murmured softly, her lips brushing against Andréa’s, “I want you, this, everything that I’ve denied you and me these last few years. I should have been braver.”

“Damn right you should have,” Andy said before pulling Miranda back into a kiss. The kiss turned heated and hands pulled bodies closer. Miranda found herself willingly pulled onto Andréa’s lap. Her skirt hiked up around her thighs. She felt Andréa’s fingers combing her hair and her tongue plundered her mouth.

“Andréa,” Miranda whispered as they pulled apart to catch their breath, her forehead leaning against Andréa’s.

“Well the bed in the room makes more sense now.” Andy started to laugh.

“What?” Miranda looked around.

Andy tilted her chin up towards the side of the room screened in. “Nigel said it’s for a photo shoot but I peeked and unless that photo shoot is for a porn film, the staging didn’t make any sense.”

“What?” Miranda asked again. Nothing made a lot of sense at the moment.

“Come on, I’ll show you.” Andy gently pushed Miranda from her lap and then stood. She offered her hand to Miranda. Miranda allowed herself to be pulled across the floor and into the screened area.

 

 

There stood a large bed surrounded side tables and a chest of drawers. Candles were tastefully arranged over the surfaces and a pile of books were stacked on a chair in the corner.  
Every mean thought Miranda had about Nigel was instantly forgotten as she pulled Andréa into her arms again.

“I love this shirt.” Andréa said, letting her fingers run over the buttons in the center.

Miranda felt her pulse quicken as Andréa’s fingers skimmed over her breasts. “I thought,” Miranda paused to clear her throat, “that you might.”

“It’s almost as nice as this skirt,” Andréa’s nimble fingers found the side button, hidden under the silk belt. She felt her pull lightly, her eyes asking if it was okay. Miranda nodded. With a flick the button opened and the skirt dropped to the floor, leaving Miranda in just the sheer blouse. Andréa stepped back, allowing Miranda to step out of the skirt completely. Andréa’s fingers trailed from the back of Miranda’s hand up her arm and back to the top button.

“I think you are overdressed Andréa,” Miranda unbuttoned Andréa’s pants and pushed them down. She frowned. She had forgotten about Andréa’s shoes. With a laugh Andréa stepped out of her shoes and then out of her pants.

“Now, where was I?” Andréa touched her fingertip to her lip like she was trying to remember. Miranda rolled her eyes before pulling her in.

“Right about here,” Miranda said before kissing her. Their fingers made quick time with the remaining buttons. Shirts dropped and then the discarded everything else. They had waited too long for slow.

Slow could wait until next time, because they both knew there would be many next times.

 

 

Andy woke, sore, tired and a little confused as to where she was for a moment. Then she remembered and a smile broke out across her face. She also remembered why she has woke up; the smell of bacon.

“Aww, honey you made pancakes and bacon,” Andy said as she wandered into the kitchen.

“Enough of that, you,” Miranda waved the spatula towards her. “Go make yourself useful, pour the coffee.”

 

Andy laughed and then leaned in to kiss Miranda. “I’ll be right back.” Andy quickly went into the bathroom. As she washed she saw a large bruise on her shoulder. She remembered Miranda biting down as she came around Andy’s fingers. She smiled. What a difference a day makes.

**Author's Note:**

> So, here it is. The end. Well almost. Did it live up to the type? Maybe, maybe not. For all of you that commented, thanks. It meant the world to me. I feel like I've gotten better at writing. That could just be a feeling though. Maybe the quality of my writing hasn't improved. That's okay too. I have learned from your comments what works or doesn't that everyone wants a little drama now and then and a slow burn is nice too.  
> For those of you who haven't commented, thanks for taking the time to read. I hope you found some of it entertaining. 
> 
> Okay, so on to the last chapter...


End file.
